Former All White defender and Tauranga City AFC great Alex Young has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, with friends rallying to help cover the $50,000 cost of treatment not funded by the health service.
The 77-year-old was diagnosed after noticing a growth on his left groin and going to see his doctor, who referred him for testing at hospital. Doctors found he had a cancer he described as an "internal melanoma" that has since spread.
"It was a strange one, but I've consequently got stage four cancer on my liver, on my lung, and on my chest," he said.
Young was on the immunotherapy drug Keytruda for six months, but it stopped working so he moved onto ipilimumab, a drug unfunded by Pharmac in his case.
"I had my first procedure with that, which costs money, obviously. I think the first one was $10,400."
Ipilimumab is funded by Pharmac for some cancer types, but not for Young's condition.
He is due for his second round of treatment at Tauranga's Canopy Cancer Care on Wednesday, with four treatments required in total.
Football has been a constant throughout Young's life. He immigrated from Scotland when he was around 16 and progressed through the grades before starring for Hamilton City, where he played alongside the likes of Keith Nelson.
"Soccer is my sport and life, I suppose," he said.
He was later named in the 1977 All Whites squad after impressing against touring English sides, including Bournemouth and Luton Town, with his height, at around 6 foot four, suiting him as a defender.
He went on to become player-coach for Tauranga, leading the club to an unbeaten season.
'A no-fuss football defender'
Tauranga City AFC life member Mark Bougen, who served on the club committee with Young in the 1970s, said he was stunned to learn his old teammate had cancer.
He recalled Young as a formidable presence on the field during his playing days at Tauranga City.
"You would call him a no-fuss football defender, a hard Scottish man," Bougen said. "When he played, he took no prisoners."
A Givealittle page set up for Young says organisers are hoping to raise $50,000 in total, describing the sum as necessary "to give Alex the best possible chance" against the disease.
It notes the financial burden of unfunded treatment is "too much for one person or family to carry alone, especially while navigating the physical and emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis".
Young said he only agreed to let the campaign go ahead after seeing the effort his friends had already put into it.
"When they came around to see me, they were so good and they had so many good ideas. I thought, well, if they're willing to go to this trouble, I'll try it."
Donations to the Givealittle page had reached about $2000 at the time of writing.
Young said he was moved by those who had chosen to give.
"I'd like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. They're probably strangers. Thank you to them all."
SHARE ME